Grapple.



J. B. GASTAGNOS.

GRAPPLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY z2, 1908 Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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J. B'. G.1 \s'f1.f\.fmos. GRAPPLE.

v APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. 190B.- 9 1 5,0 1 7 l Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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J. B. cAsTAGNos, GRAPPLE. APPLIUATION FILED JULY 22, I9 08.

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@maw @f 5 m i JOSEPH BENJAMIN OASTAGNOS, OF DONALDSONVILLE, LOUISIANA.

GBAPPLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed July 22, 1908. Serial No. 444,849.

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BENJAMIN OASTAGNos, af Donaldsonville, Ascension parish, and State of Louisianadiave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grapples, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and highly eflicient grapple for sugar cane and the like which has to be taken up in quantities from one point and transferred to and discharged at another point.

Further objects are to provide an improved form of locking device for automatically engaging the grapple and effecting the drawing together of the forked members thereof to provide improved means for releasing the locking device 5 to control the lifting of the grapple and the lowering of the locking device and its releasing means by a single rope or cable; and finally to proyide improved means for enabling the forked members to open or spread apart in discharging their load.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the position of the grapple previous to the release of the locking means 2 is a view showing the parts in position after the load has been discharged. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the grapple. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the locking hook releasing lever.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1, designate two forks, each of which consists of a series of corresponding linger bars connected by suitable cross-rods and pivoted together by a common cross-rod 2. The outer finger bars of each fork are extended beyond the cross-rod 2, and the central linger bars are formed with arms 22L through which are passed bracing-rods 8 which connect the extended portions of the end linger bars. To the arms 2EL of the central linger bars are connected spaced-apart parallel straps 4, which straps are pivotally united by a cross pin 5 centrally above the cross-rod 2. By raising these straps at their point of connection the two forks will be drawn together,

such straps and the arms 2a acting conjunctively as lazy-tongs.

6, 6, designate two upright bars each of which is pivoted at its lower end to the central linger bar of one of the forks, and at their upper ends these bars are pivoted to a crosshead 7, whichlatter supports on its opposite sides keepers S for two guide rods 9. These guide rods occupy upright positions and at their lower ends are supported by cross-rod 2.

1() designates a vertically-movable block having apertured flanges to accommodate guide-rods 9 whereon it may be moved vertically by a single hoisting rope or cable 12, which in practice is passed over a roller 13 mounted on a boom carried by any suitable support.

15 designates a latch which is shown in the form of a hooked lever pivotally mounted on block 10 beneath the lower end of which the hooked portion of the lever normally projects so that when the block is lowered such hooked end will automatically engage with th e cross pin 5. After being so lowered any upward pull on the block, as by the winding of rope 12, will cause the two forks to be drawn toward each other and inclose the cane or other articles between them. After the forks have heen thus closed together, any further upward pull on rope 12 will effect the lifting of the device in its entirety, whereupon it may le moved to the point where the load is to be discharged. The separation of the forks, for the purpose of discharging the load, is effected the release of the hooked lever from engagement with cross pin 5. For this purpose I provide a lever 16, which is pivotally mounted on block 10. The inner shorter arm of this lever is bent to conform to the upper shorter arm of the locking lever against which it lies when the parts are in their normal positions. By pulling on a rope 17, connected to the outer end of the longer arm of lever 16, the latter will be so turned on its fulcrum as to disengage the hooked lever from cross pin 5. Only a slight pull on the releasing lever is necessary to thrust the hooked lever to one side and permit the forks to lower. As this occurs the forks will spread apart under the action of the two upright bars 6, which latter will not in any way interfere with the free action of the forks. Immediately the pull on the releasing lever is released,the hooked lever will by gravity resume its normal position so that when the hoisting rope is slackened the grapple as a whole will be rst lowered and then the lever carrying block 10 will be lowered so that the hookedlever may l again automatically engage the cross pin 5.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. be seen that itis not necessary for the operator to manually place the locking lever in engagement with the forks, and also that the raising and lowering of the grapple as well as the raising andiloweringof the hook carrying block is controlled entirely by a single rope. rDhe'weight ofthe longer larrrrofthe releasing leverwill' normally holdv the latter in. such position as=to per-mit' ofit'hefreey action ofthe Alocking lever,l and that only a slight pull on the-releasing levery isnecessary to effect the disengagement of the locking lever'to-permitl of' the opening and-lowering of the forks; Bymeans'ofthe two upright` bars 6 all danger of interferingzwith the free movements of the forks isV avoided.

` I' claiml as my invention z- 1'. A' grapple comprising'two forks pivot'- ally connected-'together and-having at their centers oppositely-extended arms,` straps pivotally connected together and also pivoted to' said arms, a vertically-movable block, guides therefor supported by said forks, a single hoisting rope or cable connectedltosaid block, ahooked lever carried by said' block andi designedt'o engage said straps at theirv point of' connection, and means alsofcarried by saidblock for engaging andi releasing said hooked lever.

2.A Ai grapplecomprising' two forks pivotally connecteditogether' and having atx their centers oppositely-extended arms, straps pivotally connected together andil also` pivot'edto said arms,.apin at the point: of; eonneetion between* saidv straps, a verticallymovable bleek, guides therefor supported by saidforks, a single hoisting rope or cable connectedto saidV block, .a hooked lever carried by said' block, and normally projecting'beyond fthe lowerI endithereof'r, .to -automatically engagel said pin,r andimeansalso carriedby said block for-v engaging: and releasing: said hooked lever.

It will 3. A grapple comprising two forks pivot= ally` connected-to ether and having at their centers opposite y-eXtended arms, two

spaced-apart straps pivotally connected to y cable connected to said block, a hooked lever carried by said block and designed-to engage said cross pin, and a releasing lever alsocarried: by saidVA bloek: forl disengaging said hooked lever. from said cross `pin.

4; The combination with two forks pivotally connected; together,` of straps pivotally connected to'saidzforks, a cross pin forming a pivot-conneetion'- betweenv saidl straps, a vertically-movable block, guides therefor supported by saidf'orks, azhooked lever'carried by said block and normally projecting 1beyond thelower. end thereof for automatically engaging said cross-pin, .the short arm of saidi hooked lever Vbeing bent', a@ releasing lever 'also pivotedi onl said block and having its short arm bent to engage the short arm of said hooked lever', means conneetedto-said block for raising it and said forks, anda rope connected to saidrreleasingxlever.

5. The combination with two forks pivotally connected together and having'at their centersoppositely-eXtended arms, of straps pivoted to'said arms, across pin pivotally uniting said straps, upright bars'pivotedv to said forks, a. cross-head to which said bars are pivoted at@ their upperends, verticallydisposed guide rods supported bys-aid forks and by said cross-head, avertically-movable blocky guided by said rods, a locking lever carried by saidblock forrengagingsaid cross pin, and a releasing lever also carried by said block for engaging` said looking'lever.

Inftest-imony whereof, I" have signed this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH BENJAlllIN- CASTGNOSi Witnesses:

ROBERT- LANDY, PAUL BLANCHARD. 

